The Oakland Raiders are on of the NFL’s most storied franchises. Going back through their long history, you can pick a number of players and know they are a true part of the Raiders’ family.
Nick Bell has become a part of that family after playing three seasons for the team in the early 90s. The Bell-Raiders legacy is continued by the newest Raider, Quinton Bell, who was selected by the Raiders with their last pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. He is the nephew of Nick.
Bell played wide receiver during his first three years at Prairie A&M. During his final year, he was switched to defensive end due to a coaching change. The change took Bell by surprise but he is happy he made it as it led him to his uncle’s former team, according to Kyle Martin of Raiders.com:
“It really was kind of a decision I made for myself as well as for my team at the time,” he told the media via conference call Saturday. “We got a new coaching staff my senior year and they came in and they saw some potential in me that I didn’t see for myself. At receiver I kind of wasn’t really doing too much. They came in and said, ‘Look, we think you have a chance to play at the next level at defensive end, pass rushing.’ So, at first it kind of sounded a little crazy to me, but looking back at it now, it’s probably the best decision I ever made in my life.”
Bell excelled at his new position in his senior year. During the 2018 season, he led the Panthers with 7.5 sacks. He also impressed Raiders scouts during the combine by posting a 4.4-second 40-yard dash.
He is excited to get to work in Oakland, stating it felt like a ‘dream’ to join the team. The Raiders were one of the worst defensive teams in the NFL in 2018, so they will take all the help they can get, especially in the pass rushing department.
